The Discovery of a Big Sister
by Goddess Virgo of the Fae
Summary: Sometimes there’s more to her than anyone ever really thought. Suddenly she’s got a little brother and a lot more money than most.
1. Meeting at the Play

The Discovery of a Big Sister  
Written by: Goddess Virgo of the Fae  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the loveliness that is Harry Potter, nor do I own 'Saturday Night Fever'.  
  
Summary: Sometimes there's more to her than anyone ever really thought. Suddenly she's got a little brother, and a lot more money than most.  
  
Rating: I'll go with PG13 for language, that sort of thing.  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I've written Draco / Hermione before, but this is the first one I've ever posted, so let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!  
  
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It was only two days until the Christmas of Harry Potter's seventh year at Hogwarts' and he was one of three students still at school. He, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy were the only ones, as everyone else was with family. The defeat of Lord Voldemort had happened only one week previous.  
  
With his downfall, many realized what they could have lost. Their families. For those who had lost, would be needing to spend a time of family close to home with friends.  
  
Harry stayed, because his guardian, Sirius Black, was a teacher at Hogwarts' and there was no reason not to stay. Ron stayed, only to be with Harry, for he felt that his best friend would need more company than just someone like Malfoy. And Draco, he had stayed because he had no family to go to. He'd been there when his father was killed in the final battle and his mother was long dead.  
  
They were gathered along with the teachers in the great hall for lunch when Dumbledore stood and addressed them. "As there are only three students, I have found somewhere I wish to take you as a Christmas gift. It will be a muggle play that I find absolutely magnificent."  
  
Harry and Ron were delighted, but Draco wasn't so enthusiastic. How was he supposed to fit in, in the muggle world, when he'd rarely even glimpsed it?  
  
"I would like for you three young men to meet me and any teachers who wish to accompany us in the front hall at six o'clock. If there are no questions. then let the meal begin." The plates immediately filled with food. It was twelve thirty already, so they ate quickly and left the hall to do anything else they'd wanted to do that day.  
  
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Later in the day, Draco sat in the common room, staring into the fire as the flames rose and fell. He was a bit apprehensive about going into the muggle world, but knew that he really didn't have much of a choice. With a sigh, he extracted himself from his chair and checked the clock on the wall. Oh great, he only had half an hour to get ready and get to the front hall. Just great.  
  
He changed into a black turtleneck and a pair of black pants, along with a pair of black leather hiking boots. Looking around, he spotted his winter cloak with two intertwined snakes as a clasp and pulled it on. Muggle world or not, it was bloody cold out there and he'd be damned if he was going to freeze. That done, he checked his watch and saw that he had ten minutes, so he walked swiftly out of his dorm and towards where he knew everyone else would be waiting.  
  
When he got there, Harry and Ron shot him irritated glances, Ron more so then Harry. Dumbledore and Sirius came walking toward them, Remus in tow. They were all very surprised when, from a different hallway, Snape came striding right for their little group. "Ah, Severus. Thank you for joining us. Now, shall we go?" Everyone nodded and he held out a book with the words 'So You Want to be a Stripper?' on the front.  
  
"If everyone would please take a hold on the book, we will be transported to the alley behind the theater." Everyone touched a part of the book on the count of three and felt the tug behind their navels. What they landed in wasn't so much an alley as it was a very long very narrow parking lot. Dumbledore made sure there were no muggles around who could've seen them appear and with a satisfied nod, he led them around the building and to the front doors.  
  
The show was about to start when they got there and they managed to snag some seats in the back row from a few angry people. It took everything in the students not to crack up laughing when Snape glared at a woman and with a 'humph' she left, her nose held high in the air.  
  
The play started a few minutes after they'd gotten there and it was actually turning out to be very amusing. It wasn't exactly a normal play, as currently, ten minutes in, a little boy dressed in a white robe (that looked much like a wizard robe) and angel wings was tackling another little boy dressed as Santa Clause. Santa seemed to be losing. Another little boy (Santa's elf) pulled them apart and said, turning to the crowd, "You should never fight, for you will never know the consequence of your actions. Besides, it's Christmas Eve, let's party!" Just as he said this, a disco ball was lowered down from the ceiling and the lighting turned different colors. When the little angel turned on the song 'Saturday Night Fever', the entire cast broke into a standard disco dance.  
  
The audience laughed as the mini-Christmas people danced around and basically just had fun.  
  
After about half an hour, the play ended with the children each taking a bow and waving to their parents in the crowd. They planned to wait until it was a bit less packed to get up and try to leave. Sitting there, Dumbledore watched all of the muggles around him in delight, they all seemed so happy. Still watching, someone standing close to the stage caught his eye, they looked more then a bit familiar. When he got a clear view of their face, he got a big grin on his face. Looking to his companions, he said, "Would you all follow me toward the front, I've seen someone I think I may know."  
  
All consenting, they all followed him to the front of the theater. He walked straight up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. As turned, everyone got a good look at her face. "Hello Ms.Granger."  
  
"Professor! This is a surprise, what're you all doing here?" She asked happily as she hugged her two best friends and greeted the others.  
  
"We were watching the play. Besides, what are you doing here?" Harry replied.  
  
"The same as you. Just watching the pl-oof." She was cut short as she got plowed into from behind. The little boy who'd played the angel was hugging her around the legs.  
  
"Was I good, was I good, was I good?!?" He asked, seeming very hyper.  
  
Bending down to his level, "You were magnificent baby. I've never seem such great acting." She answered seriously, and then she cracked a smile. "Marvelous J, simply marvelous." She looked up to see everyone's confused faces and slapped her forehead. "Oh, forgive me. Everyone, this is my little brother Jordan. Jordan, this is everyone."  
  
"I never knew you had a brother." Ron said, baffled.  
  
"You never asked." She replied. She felt a tugging on her coat and looked down at her little sibling.  
  
"Mione, I'm hungry. Can we go home yet?" He asked in a small voice.  
  
"Of coarse honey." She turned to her friends and professors. "It was really great seeing all of you, but as you heard, Jordan wants to go get home so he can eat, so we've got to go." She looked back to her brother. "You ready munchkin?" He nodded. "Okay, bye." And they walked toward the door.  
  
"Bye Hermy!" Harry and Ron called as one.  
  
"See ya' later Hermione." Came from Sirius and Remus. All of the men made their way out the same door the Grangers' had just left through. Walking outside, they came to see that it had been snowing very hard while they were inside, as the ground was covered five inches thick.  
  
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Author's Note: Feed back! Review and I will love you forever (and I'll update), lol!  
  
Thanks for reading,  
  
Goddess 


	2. Profiles sort of

Author's Note: Okay, someone asked me if I would describe my characters in this fic, but I'm too lazy to incorporate that in my story, so I decided to do it separately. Here we go!  
  
~Hermione Granger~  
  
Hair: golden brown; waist length; wavy; below chin length bangs Eyes: light, honey brown Height: 5'6 ½ Other: nice hourglass-figure; not stick skinny (but no where near fat either); pale; wears a lot of darker colors (ex_ forest green, browns, black, midnight blue, etc.)  
  
~Jordan Granger~  
  
Hair: dark brown; curly; short Eyes: light green Height: 4'2 (about) Other: skinny; energetic; pale  
  
~Draco Malfoy~  
  
Hair: white-blond; not slicked back Eyes: silver-blue Height: 5'11  
  
Other: well built (but not disgustingly so); very pale; and okay, this may seem weird to some, but he's the type of guy who's not just handsome, but beautiful.  
  
~Harry Potter~  
  
Hair: raven black; messy Eyes: emerald green Height: 5'11 ½ Other: same basic physique as Draco, but not the same sort of beauty; a bit rugged-looking  
  
~Ron Weasley~  
  
Hair: Weasley red Eyes: dark blue Height: 6'2 ¾ Other: not too lanky, but still skinny-looking; freckles  
  
~Headmaster Albus Dumbledore~  
  
Hair: white Eyes: twinkling light blue Height: 5'10 Other: he's Dumbledore, you should know what he looks like  
  
~Professor Severus Snape~  
  
Hair: black; a little above shoulder length; you decide whether or not you think it's greasy or silky Eyes: black / extremely dark brown Height: 6'1 Other: very pale; I'm sorry, but you'll have to fill the rest of this one in, because I have a strange love for a Snape that makes me a bit biased in the looks department. I think he's really sexy, but whatever floats your boat.  
  
~Professor Sirius Black~  
  
Hair: black; mid-back length Eyes: dark brown Height: 6'0 Other: well-built (but not disgustingly so); roguish looking; has a bit of a tan; extremely hot in my mind  
  
~Professor Remus Lupin~  
  
Hair: light brown with gray / silver at the temples Eyes: amber Height: 5'10 Other: a bit tired looking; well-built (but not disgustingly so); outdoorsy / rugged looking; very tan; a bit animalistic in some of his actions; (another one of my favorite hotties)  
  
~Ellis~  
  
Hair: black with white streaks of age Eyes: light green Height: 5'5 Other: elderly, but very energetic  
  
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Author's Note: Okay, there it is. Another thing I'd like to say is, Draco is very ooc in this fanfiction, because of his being nice. If you've a problem with ooc people, I hope you'll still keep reading my story.  
  
Thanks for reading,  
  
Goddess 


	3. Questions at Granger Manor

Author's Note: Okay, here it is!!  
  
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"Oh dear." Dumbledore muttered. "We'll not be able to find the port key in all this snow. And no Mr. Weasley, we can't summon it." He said as Ron opened his mouth to speak. They were standing there, trying to figure out what they were going to do, when Hermione pulled up next to them in a black SUV.  
  
"Anything wrong?" She asked, concerned.  
  
"You see Miss Granger, we can't find our port key to get us back to Hogwarts'." Said Snape from his spot next to the headmaster.  
  
"Oh. Well I suppose you could come with us to the manor if you like. We don't usually have a lot of visitors, but it's nice enough." She offered.  
  
"That would be very nice Hermione." Dumbledore answered as Harry and Ron looked at each other strangely. 'Manor?' "Erm, well, how are we going to."  
  
"Oh, well, you're welcome to ride with us if you like. There should be enough room in here, though Jordan's probably going to have to sit on someone's lap, and we'll probably have to expand the back seat." The wizards agreed and they climbed in. Dumbledore sat in the front seat beside Draco, who was sitting next to Hermione, and in the back Harry, Ron, Snape, Remus and, Sirius all sat in the stretched out back seat.  
  
Jordan stood outside the opened driver's side door and asked, "Where am I going to sit?"  
  
"Pick a lap, or well, a lap that's not mine anyway." She told him. After a moments' deliberation, he crawled over her into the vehicle and settled himself in Draco's lap. She shot the tense Slytherin an apologetic look, closed the door and then they were off towards a place called Granger Manor. As she drove, they all made conversation, and Hermione was overjoyed when she heard Jordan and Draco speaking softly. Jordan never talked to anyone he hadn't known for a while, but here he and the Slytherin prince were getting along like friends. "The manor's back off the beaten path, so it can sometimes feel like it takes a while to get there. We should be there in a few minutes though."  
  
They pulled off the main road onto a much smaller, but still paved one that was surrounded by trees and covered in white. They'd gone about a mile when they reached the tall wrought iron gates. Everyone looked at them, impressed. They were around thirteen feet tall and at the top in the center of a large cat, was a 'G'. "Home sweet home." Hermione muttered, knowing how intimidating the first thing they had seen of her house had been. After driving about another mile, they finally got their first glimpse of the manor itself. She heard a couple of whispered 'wow's. She pulled off the main drive and onto another small rode that led to the garage.  
  
Once they were safely parked, everyone climbed out and she led the way into the house. Jordan ran up to her and grabbed her hand. It was only when she looked over at him that she'd realized that he'd drug Draco over with him. "Jordan, perhaps Draco's not-"  
  
"It's fine." Draco cut in; already he was attached to the little kid. "This is a nice house you've got here Granger, how come you never said anything about it?"  
  
"It never really came up. The Granger's-we're actually a pretty old family. Aristocrats, intellectuals, that sort of thing."  
  
"Daddy owned a bunch of the stores in town, but now I guess Mione does." Jordan piped in. Hermione gritted her teeth together and took a deep breath.  
  
"Owned?" Ron asked from behind them. It was then that they realized that everyone had been listening.  
  
"Yes, owned." She answered shortly as she opened the door to the house. After they'd stepped inside, the smell of gingerbread and peppermint invaded their nostrils. "Ellis, we're home!"  
  
"Miss Mione!" Came a happy, older sounding voice. After the words, followed a woman. She was probably in her fifties, with black hair streaked with white and kind old eyes. "Oh, and who's this?" She asked, not unkindly.  
  
"These are some people from school Ellis." That said, she introduced everyone properly and told the old woman of their problem.  
  
"Well, I just finished putting dinner together, we're having cold cuts, and there's plenty for everyone, so you all go and wash up." She said in a motherly tone, even to Dumbledore, who had to be nearly three times her age. Hermione told them where several bathrooms were and they all split up. Hermione ended up going to her upstairs bathroom that was in fact connected to her bedroom, with Jordan and Draco. Jordan seemed very attached to the older boy, and Hermione had never seen Draco look as he did when he was with her brother.  
  
Draco found himself glancing at Hermione out of the corner of his eye as she helped Jordan wash his hands, and he really didn't like where he knew his mind was going. They got finished and she turned to look at him. What was there, in his eyes for the mili-second before he realized she'd seen, she saw him. She saw the Draco Malfoy that no one, aside from his deceased mother, had ever seen before. There was a caring in his eyes, kindness, tenderness even, that she'd never seen in him.  
  
Draco watched them, acting as a brother and a sister, but also like a mother and her son. That gave him something to think about. Mother and son? No, there was no way that perfect little Granger could be someone's mother when she was only seventeen. But was there really? He realized she was looking at him only an extremely short time after it happened. "Yes?" He asked, his face completely a mask.  
  
"Nothing. Jordan why don't you-why don't you go down and tell Ellis we'll be ready for dinner in just a second, alright?" She asked, glancing down at him. He nodded and bounded out of the room and then down the stairs.  
  
"Is there something you wanted?" The Slytherin asked, his demeanor cool.  
  
She looked at him and he felt as if she could see everything under his usual facade, and he felt uncomfortably bare. "Actually, I wanted to ask you the same thing."  
  
"What would I want of you Granger?" He replied, his question sounding weak and pathetic even in his own ears.  
  
"Something. Ask me what it is you wanted to ask, I can see it in the way you act." She shot back, her lazy attitude matching his own, every stride for every stride.  
  
Sighing, he answered. "Is he really your brother? Jordan, I mean."  
  
"Really my brother? What else would he b-oh! You think he's my son, don't you? He's not, don't worry. I just-I just take care of him as I feel my mother and father would do if they were still alive and with us. I've been taking care of him this way since he was three years old, so he doesn't really remember much else, much different." She explained, asking herself why he was being so nice to her all of a sudden.  
  
Asking himself why she was being so nice all of a sudden, he nodded and said, "Oh." After a fairly uncomfortable silence, they turned and went down the stairs, both thinking about the conversation they'd just had. Draco about what she'd said, 'as my mother and father would do if they were still alive and with us,' 'I've been taking care of him this way since he was three years old.' And Hermione thinking about why he cared.  
  
They were the last ones into the dining room, which turned out to have a long table, perhaps twenty feet, and chairs, all in cherry-wood. The walls were decorated with portraits of all sizes, and the vaulted ceiling was a huge stained glass window, all colors cold blues and purples. The portraits, Draco noticed, all had different features, that seemed to be the same. "I'm not sure whether or not Ellis intended for us to eat in here, but I personally would care for a more friendly atmosphere. I know that my ancestors aren't exactly cheery looking." Which was correct, because while they were all handsome and pretty looking, the portraits all had a distinct coldness about them that Draco had grown accustomed to with his own family. "So. . . how about we get our food and eat in the den." She suggested, a small smile playing on her lips.  
  
Everyone agreed, including Jordan who'd been eyeing his relatives warily. Hand in hand, the two Grangers led the way into a much more cozy room that was decorated in earthy accents. "Make yourselves at home, I'm going to go help Ellis." Hermione said before leaving the room. Ten minutes later, she and the older woman came in, pushing a cart holding breads, meats, fruits, cheeses, etc. between them. Everyone made themselves a plate and they all sat around eating and holding a light conversation about anything from the weather to how school was going.  
  
Around 10:30, Hermione told her brother to go to bed. "But Mione." Jordan tried to argue, but to no avail.  
  
"I've let you stay up a half an hour later than your bed time, so I don't want to hear it Mister. Besides, you're going to have to get up early tomorrow so you can help Ellis and I make Christmas Eve dinner. It's going to be Spanish, remember?" He nodded, trying to hold in the yawn fighting to escape him. "Come on baby, I'll tuck you in." She said, standing up and then turning to everyone else. "If you like, I can show you to your rooms."  
  
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Author's Note: Okay, tell me how you like it please. I thrive on feedback and with the few I've gotten so far I'm dying here. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful, but it's just not enough for me (sob).  
  
Anyway, thanks for reading,  
  
Goddess 


	4. When You Believe

Author's Note: Hello all! I'm very sorry that I haven't updated for a couple months, but I have had the writer's block to end all writers' blocks. It really sucked. Anyway, here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for . . . Bill Clinton tap dancing at a topless joint!  
  
Or not.  
  
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They pulled themselves off the couches as well and followed her as she led the way up the stairs. They reached Jordan's door and his sister said, "Go on and get ready for bed, I'll be in in a second." She led her guests down the hall and told them where her room was as she led them up another set of stairs. When they reached the third floor corridor, she told them where each would stay. "If you're not tired, we can go back down stairs, but first I've got to get J tucked in and asleep." Harry and Ron went to their rooms, but the others followed her back down the stairs.  
  
"Go on ahead, I'll be down in a bit." She said as she stopped at her little brother's door. Everyone did as she'd suggested and she knocked and then walked in, leaving the door open. "Into bed munchkin." And he scrambled into the bed, letting his sister tuck the blankets around his small form.  
  
"Sing to me?" He asked in a slight voice.  
  
"Well, what is it you wish to hear?" Asked the young woman as she sat next to him.  
  
"The one you sang in your chorus concert, the one from the movie." He explained, sounding very much like the little boy that he was.  
  
"'When You Believe'?" She asked. He nodded, and she began.  
  
Many nights we prayed  
  
With no proof anyone could hear  
  
In our hearts a hopeful song  
  
We barely understood  
  
Now we are not afraid  
  
Although we know there's much to fear  
  
We were moving mountains  
  
Long before we knew we could  
  
There can be miracles  
  
When you believe  
  
Though hope is frail  
  
It's hard to kill  
  
Who knows what miracles  
  
You can achieve  
  
When you believe  
  
Somehow you will  
  
You will when you  
  
Believe  
  
She went on until the end of the song and then kissed the sleeping boy gently on the forehead. Light clapping, as to not wake her brother up, sounded from the doorway. Hermione spun to face her audience, to find one Mr. Draco Malfoy. "That was nice." He said, his voice quiet, but still sounding perfectly in her ears. Her cheeks went pink as she stood up and walked toward him and the door.  
  
"Thank you." She muttered as she came to stand in front of him. The entire time her eyes stayed carefully trained on the ground, not daring to meet his, and for the life of her she couldn't figure out why. Her breath caught as he tilted her chin up toward his face.  
  
"That was nice." He repeated, the deep timbre of his voice making her shiver. "I know it might sound weird, but will you-will you sing for me?" She answered his question with shocked silence. Now it was he who stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, I'll just go."  
  
He turned to walk away, and was a might bit surprised when she caught his arm and blurted out an anxious, "Yes." Relaxing her hold on his arm and looping hers through it, she led him out of her brother's room and shut the door. "Where?" She whispered, even though there was no need for it. He gestured to the wide hallway with his free hand. "Here, in the middle of the hallway?" He nodded. And so she did.  
  
The song she picked was slow and sweet and long, and after the first verse, he put his arms around her waist and she put hers around his neck. In the middle of the hallway, they danced to the sweet song of her voice, and they forgot that only recently they'd been enemies.  
  
Downstairs, the professors were wondering what was taking Hermione so long and just how badly Draco'd had to use the restroom. Coming to a silent decision, they all stood up and headed up to where they'd left Hermione. When they reached the top of the stairs, they were extremely surprised at what they saw. Pure and corrupt, Gryffindor and Slytherin, basically the school's version of good and evil. They watched as she shifted closer to him as they danced in a slow circle.  
  
Both had their eyes closed and didn't see the spectators. Not making a sound, Dumbledore ushered them back down the stairs to leave the couple alone.  
  
As the last note wafted from her lips, they both opened their eyes, but didn't separate. Breaking the silence, Draco whispered in her ear, "I'd come with the intention of talking with you, and if we could, I-" But she got to it before he could say anymore. Wordlessly and holding his hand, she led him down the hall to her room and they entered. Both sitting on a majestic rug in front of her huge fireplace, which still had a low flame in it, they talked.  
  
He apologized for having been such a stupid git (his words) through the years and she listened and excepted every apology. Not even giving the people downstairs a second thought, they fell asleep on the rug covered in a thick woolen blanket.  
  
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Author's Note: Okay, how was it?  
  
To actually hear 'When You Believe' (doesn't belong to me), you can find it on the movie 'The Prince of Egypt'. I sang that song a while back with my chorus and I ended up having to sing the guys part of the duet at the beginning.  
  
Thanks for reading,  
  
Goddess  
  
P.S.- I got the 5th book at 12:15 a.m. or so on June 21st, and I finished it at about 10:10 p.m. on June the 21st. Let me tell you just as a hint to the book, I bawled like a baby a one point.  
  
Anyway, bye now! 


	5. And what do you dream about?

Author's Note: I'm soooooooo sorry that it's taken me this long to update. My mind has been a complete blank when it comes to the stories that I already have. However, it has been spitting new ideas out left and right, one of which should be posted in the near future. Please look for it, it's called 'Azkabanian Conversations' (shameless plug, lol). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! Read on!!!  
  
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The next morning while it was still dark outside, Hermione woke up feeling a heavy, but not uncomfortable, arm wrapped around her waist. It took her a moment to remember what'd transpired the night before and when she did, her eyes widened and she took in a small gasp of air. It was like waking up the morning after a night of drinking, minus the hangover. At first she'd had to struggle to remember her actions of the night before, but when she did she was greatly surprised.  
  
She, Hermione Granger, know-it-all, ordinary, muggleborn, and he, Draco Malfoy, Slytherin prince, sexy, pureblood, had had a very from the heart and all around surreal conversation. He'd apologized to her, for everything he'd ever said about her, and she'd accepted. It seemed as though she'd lived the previous night in a sort of fog. Not seeing clearly, but not really regretting the blindness of stumbling headfirst into the unknown, feeling it was beautiful all the same.  
  
She was pulled from her musings as the arm around her waist tightened and she heard an indefinable muttering close to the back of her head. Turning her head as far as she could, she came to see the troubled looking face of a still sleeping dragon. His face scrunched up a little and he was sweating ever so slightly. Seeing his distressed state, Hermione rolled over completely, still managing not to wake him, and studied his face intently. Tighter still did he pull her to him and when his free arm swung out behind her where she'd just been she was very grateful.  
  
He grunted and his body became even more taut with tension. She tried to shake him to wake him up, but given her rather awkward position, she was unable to do so. So she opted for her other option. "DRACO!!" His eyes flew open and he took in lung-fulls of air before he came back to himself.  
  
"Hermione?" He asked uncertainly. She nodded and he let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"What happened?" She inquired, acutely aware of the involuntary tightening of his arms around her at her question. "What did you dream?"  
  
Not able to lie to her and unable to pull up his old mask after their conversation of the previous night, he told the truth. "The same thing that I've dreamt every other night of my life since everything happened." The dragon closed his eyes and composed himself enough to tell her the tale. "Everything, being the things that transpired when my father took me to my death eater initiation." He felt Hermione stiffen, but she didn't stop him telling his story.  
  
"Father walked me in and for the first time in my life I met Lord Voldemort. Ugly blighter he was, but I wasn't really thinking that at the time, I was scared out of my bloody wits. Father pulled me down to bow with him, and in that moment, I lost any respect for the man I'd ever had. A couple death eaters pulled out this boy, probably a couple years younger then me, who was bound and gagged. They forced him to his knees and told me to kill him. He looked at me with this look, of terror I guess, in his eyes and instead of the pleasure that I'd always thought I'd feel, that Father'd always told me I'd feel, I felt revulsion.  
  
"I was revolted at what I'd even thought about doing and when I wouldn't do it they held me down and made me watch. Something happened in the back of the room and when everyone turned to see what'd happened, I managed to slip out and run straight to Dumbledore.  
  
"Since then, I've had nightmares of that boy and other people, a lot of muggleborns. In every dream they die and all I can ever do is sit by and watch." He finished, opening his eyes. He was surprised to see a couple tears making their way down her cheeks.  
  
"Have you-do you ever dream of me that way?" She asked.  
  
He inhaled sharply and answered, "All the time. You're the one who's there the most often."  
  
"Why?" She whispered, confused.  
  
"I think it's because I always made fun of you. When I actually consider the thought of someone dying because of me, I can't help but think of all the nasty things I've said to you."  
  
"I thought we'd covered the whole 'I forgive you' thing?" She asked, perhaps stated, as she reached up to push a wayward strand of hair away from his eyes. "I do, you know? Forgive you. I learned a long time ago that sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind and let life take you wherever it will. And frankly, I believe it's taken me to you, or maybe you to me, I haven't quite figured that part out yet." He stared at her, his eyes searching her face for what he already knew to be true; she was most definitely an angel.  
  
"Thank you." He replied, leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead, his lips feeling like fire as they touched her skin. Breaking the spell that had befallen them, Hermione pulled away and stretched.  
  
"Come outside with me." She commanded softly, and he found himself nodding before he could think about it. Standing up, she offered her hand to him, which he grasped and stood. Together, wrapped in the thick blanket, they stepped outside through a door onto the balcony. Snuggling as close to each other as they could, to preserve heat of course, they stood in the cold watching the sun as it rose and cast its light upon everything, bringing forth a new day.  
  
"I think this is symbolic somehow, a new day for a new understanding of each other." She whispered gently as she leaned back into his chest. Again, he could do nothing but nod. "Draco." She started, unsure of whether or not she should finish her statement.  
  
"Hmm?" He asked.  
  
"I want to still be your friend when we get back to school." She whispered, her breath making small clouds in the air.  
  
"Am I that? A friend, I mean." She nodded and her hair brushed his chin.  
  
"In only a few short hours, you've become so much, a friend and I wish m- never mind. Yes Draco, you are a friend." She told him, leaning even further back. He was disappointed, but also a little curious.  
  
"Hermione, you wish what?" She shook her head and mumbled something too quiet for him to hear. "Hermione, you wish what?" He asked again, his voice raising a bit in volume.  
  
"It's nothing really, don't let it worry you." She replied, internally yelling at herself for almost slipping. He opened his mouth and she could feel him draw breath to say something, so she put a stop to that before had a chance to pass. "Draco, it's nothing, don't worry."  
  
"But it has to have been something, because nothing unintelligent ever comes out of your mouth." He murmured. Blushing, Hermione craned her neck around so she could look at him. "Well, at least I've never heard anything unintelligent come out of your mouth before. So, what-" He started, but she simply shook her head and so he let it drop, but he didn't forget it. Instead, he found a conversation in her home. "This is a beautiful house, how long has it been in your family?"  
  
"Several hundred years if I'm not mistaken. My great great great great great great great great (I think) grandfather had it built for his son and his fiancée. I love it and there are only a choice few places that I find problems with."  
  
"Oh? Where?"  
  
"Well, the dining room for one. My relatives looked exceptionally mean, no?" He chuckled, the motion vibrating through her back. "And then there are the dungeons. Yes, there are dungeons in a muggle house." She added at his disbelieving look. "And I don't care for my great grandmother's parlor . . ." They went on this way, him asking questions about her life, for about half and hour before they finally went inside and Hermione headed down the stairs to start cooking.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's Note: Yes, I am very aware of how OOC Draco has been, but that's what's so cool about this being fanfiction, it's fiction (and it's all mine, mwahahahaha!). Okay, so tell me what you think and I will be very grateful.  
  
Also, please look into my new story (Azkabanian Conversations). I think I'll have it under the Snape / Hermione pairing, but I'm still not so sure on whether or not it'll be that or Sirius / Hermione.  
  
Thanks for reading,  
  
Goddess  
  
P.S. - If it does end up being something other then Snape / Hermione I'll be sure to post the change. 


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